


Call My Dad

by InvisibleAce



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Band as a Family, Bobby is Not Trevor Wilson, Child Neglect, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Beta Read, Reggie Peters Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Underage Drinking, college tours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleAce/pseuds/InvisibleAce
Summary: His dad hadn’t smiled at him in years. That action alone was enough to convince Reggie to join Bobby on his tour.OrBobby and Reggie go on a college tour, it goes shitty and they bond over having bad parents. Oh. And they write a song.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson & Reggie Peters
Comments: 6
Kudos: 84





	Call My Dad

**Author's Note:**

> Back at it again with Luke, Alex and Reggie dating. It isn't a major plot point but there to add some 〰️ spice 〰️ 
> 
> I need to stop listening to music and relating everything back to Julie and The Phantoms. It's a problem (or is it). 
> 
> The song Bobby and Reggie 'write' is Call My Dad by AJR. I, in no way, wrote it or own it

Reggie wasn’t sure why he decided to go to the college tour with Bobby. 

Well, that’s kind of a lie. His friend had mentioned it in passing during rehearsal, saying that his dad had mentioned ( _ again _ ) that he needed to invest in his future and had booked him a visit at his old school. College was a really important thing to Mr. Wilson but Reggie honestly couldn’t understand why. Bobby had never expressed any interest in going to college. Sunset Curve was slowly gaining traction. It wouldn’t be long now. 

It was a prestigious college just outside LA. Reggie had already forgotten the name of it but, during a rare moment at home where there was no fighting, he had mentioned it to his dad. What happened after that took him by surprise. His dad had  _ smiled _ . He seemed giddy at the idea of Reggie going and possibly (not) applying to such a school. 

His dad hadn’t smiled at him in years. That action alone was enough to convince Reggie to join Bobby on his tour. 

Julie had said no, seeing that she was a year younger than them and didn’t have to worry about college yet. Luke and Alex had declined, opting to stay home and have a date night. Luke seemed put out at the idea of Reggie being gone for the day or two. Since the three of them had started dating there hadn’t been a day where they hadn’t been together. More often than not they would spend the night on the pullout cuddled together. 

So that’s how Reggie found himself a town away from his boyfriends, trying his hardest to pretend he still wanted to be there. One look at Bobby told him that his friend didn’t want to be there anymore either. Their tour guide was a dick. Using big words and laughing when they both looked confused. He even made a rude comment about Bobby’s converses being too beaten up. Reggie was surprised that his friend held his tongue. Usually Bobby would be all backtalk. 

The tour had been long and boring. It was an all boys school and they all looked the same in their uniforms. Reggie had asked about being able to wear their own clothes at all and, surprise surprise, the tour guide gave some snarky reply about how worn in their clothes looked already. 

Reggie thought he looked really dapper in his best non-ripped jeans and the button down he borrowed from Luke. 

Bobby was quick to get them off the campus as soon as the tour was over. The grip he had on Reggie’s arm was kind of painful but Reggie didn’t say anything. His friend's jaw was clenched and he was glaring at every uniformed boy they walked past. Reggie didn’t have any problem with getting the hell away from the school. He felt so out of place and uncomfortable towards the end of the tour. 

They didn’t say anything as they reached Bobby’s car, getting in and driving off before they could even buckle. His friends grip on the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Reggie didn’t even try to break the silence, knowing that his friend needed time to process his emotions and thoughts. Bobby wasn’t as outspoken as the rest of them but he was slowly getting better. He would talk when he’s ready. 

Reggie lost track of how long they were in the car for, and where exactly they were going. The radio was turned on at some point, Bobby’s grip loosening the smallest amount. Reggie looked out the window again as the car came to a stop, realizing that Bobby had brought them to a small lookout point above the local beach. The car was shut off and Reggie was quick to follow Bobby out of the car and over to the railing. 

“You okay?” Reggie asked. 

“They’re assholes, all of them,” Bobby bursted out. His shoulders were tense. “It’s stupid. I thought that by going there, even just checking the fucking place out, would, shit - I don’t know. I thought it would make me feel closer to my dad.” 

“He went to college there right? Was one of their most successful students.” 

Bobby scoffed. “Yeah, no wonder he loved the place so much. They’re all carbon copies of privileged assholes. My dad wasn’t even there and I still felt like a loser and useless.” 

Reggie frowned, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders. “Your dad loved the school so much because he thrived amongst all the assholes. Please don’t let them get to you.” 

“They’re not, don’t worry Reg. It’s just…” 

“You’re dad.” 

A sigh, “Yeah.” 

Reggie watched a seagull swoop around in the air before landing on the sand. The sun was setting. It’s reflection on the water was really pretty. “If it makes you feel better I came along because my dad seemed overjoyed at the thought of me going to a college like this one. He actually  _ smiled  _ and was, like, giddy,” Reggie sighed and shook his head. “But not only did I stuck out like a sore thumb, I’m also way too stupid to event think about applying.” 

“You’re not stupid,” Bobby answered immediately. 

“You’re not a loser or useless,” Reggie said back quietly. 

They stood there for a moment longer, silence washing over them but the tension was gone. The sun was setting further, the pink and orange reminding Reggie of Alex’s hoodie and Luke’s beanie. Both items of clothing that he had stolen before he left. They were in the backseat of the car and Reggie suddenly wants to put them on. He misses his boyfriends. 

“Fuck this place. Fuck them  _ and  _ our dads,” Bobby declared making Reggie laugh. “Let’s go get drunk.” 

“We’re not twenty-one?” Reggie questioned, dropping his arm from around Bobby’s shoulders. 

“We got our fakes. Plus Alex isn’t here to stop us.” 

Reggie wishes Alex was there. He really wasn’t the biggest drinker, not liking how it made him feel the morning after. Reggie doesn’t get the traditional hangover. He gets emotional and just feels… off for a while. Though it’s nothing that some cuddles from his boyfriends couldn’t fix. 

“I’m down,” Reggie shrugged. He didn’t have anything better to do. “Got anywhere in mind?” 

Bobby headed back towards his car. “I was thinking we head back towards home. I know bars aren’t really your scene so maybe grab a case and find somewhere to chill.” 

Reggie relaxed a little at the idea of drinking somewhere that wasn’t a bar. There were too many people in those places. They were always jammed packed and dark. The music was terrible and ungodly loud for no reason. He very much preferred drinking, well,  _ anywhere _ but a bar. He was touched that Bobby remembered such a small detail about him. 

Before he got into the passenger seat he snagged the hoodie and beanie from the backseat, throwing the hoodie on over the button down and placing the beanie on his head. When he settled he looked over at Bobby with a raised eyebrow. The car was on, in drive, but they were’t moving. Bobby was looking at him with a dopey expression as he eyed the newest additions to his outfit. 

“You’re so fucking cute,” Bobby shook his head. “I can’t with you three dorks.” 

With that, they were headed back towards home. Music blasting and them singing their hearts out to the radio, laughing and talking over each other the entire time. It was almost enough to forget how terrible the tour had made him feel. 

Almost. 

* * *

After stopping at a liquor store on the way back to the city, Bobby decided that their best bet was hiding at the beach and drinking there. The last thing they wanted was to get Mr. Molina in trouble by drinking at the studio Bobby had at least been smart enough to drop his car off at the studio, parking it a little down the street from the Molina’s household before they headed for the beach, case of beers in between them. 

Reggie thought about calling Luke and Alex to see if they wanted to join them but decided against it. Alex would be anxious the entire time and Luke got handsy when he was tipsy. Reggie didn’t want to put Bobby through that. He didn’t want to interrupt date night at the empty Patterson's house when he was fine without them for right now. Plus, it was a rare Bobby and Reggie bonding moment. Those hardly happen anymore. 

They found a nice spot by the peer. It was dark enough that they were hidden from any cops that might me roaming around but there was enough light from the peer above and the moon to be able to see still. They made themselves comfortable and Bobby wasted no time opening two beers. The taste was bitter but Reggie found himself relaxing as it went down his throat. It seemed like it was having the same effect on his friend. 

“We’ll show ‘em,” Bobby said between sips. “We’re gonna make it big and they’ll be eating their words.” 

Reggie found himself nodding along with his friend’s words. It wouldn’t just be their fathers that they’ll be proving wrong. It’ll be both Luke and Alex’s parents as well. Reggie couldn’t wait to see the day the adults realized how wrong they were. He hopes for his boyfriends cases’ that apologizes and never ending support follows. Reggie knew it was too much to hope for himself and Bobby. His own parents didn’t even notice him beyond dragging him into an argument and Bobby’s parents didn’t care about him unless there was something in it for themselves. 

Julie was lucky. Ray was the father none of them had. The older man seemed more than happy to take four teenagers with emotional baggage under his wing. Reggie loved Mr. Molina like he was his own dad. 

Anyways. 

Reggie held his beer out to Bobby, who clicked his against it before they both chugged. They were quick to discard the bottles before Bobby got them both another one. Reggie honestly lost track of time, laughing and talking about pointless things. They easily went through the case, Reggie feeling more loose and relaxed as the night went on. 

Bobby tossed his third bottle to the side and clumsily reached for his backpack that was behind them. He pulled out a notebook, a notebook that Reggie knew his friend wrote lyric ideas in, and a pen. He crossed his legs, opening to a fresh page before looking at Reggie. 

“Let’s write a song,” Bobby said. “It’ll be so fucking good.” 

“It’ll be the best song to ever be written,” Reggie agreed full heartedly. He downed the rest of his beer and scooted closer to Bobby. “What do you wanna write about?” 

“Um. Huh,” Bobby looked around the empty beach. “Fuck. I don’t know.” 

Reggie laughed, blindly reaching for his fourth beer and handing one to Bobby because he’s nice. As he struggled to get it open, his eyes wandered to the neighborhood just past the beach. He could see his house in the distance, all the nights off. He couldn’t get the look of giddiness that his dad had sent him only a couple days ago. Apparently the idea of having a son going to a well respected college was a good enough reason to be nice to said son. Apparently anything is better than having a son being in a band. 

He took a long sip of his drink before taking the book and pen from Bobby and started writing the first thing that came to mind. Bobby shifted closer, resting his chin on Reggie’s shoulder and read over his shoulder. Reggie really didn’t know if what he was writing made any sense but it just felt right. He mumbled to himself as he wrote. He found that it helped get the ideas out.

_ “Oh my God, what's going on? This night got fuckin' weird. Drove so fast my brain got buzzed and now I'm standin' here. Met so many faces that will probably forget me. Boy, I bet I look so grown up shirt tucked in my jeans _ .” 

“I like it,” Bobby commented quietly. 

Reggie hummed in response, pausing to let his mind wonder to all the times where he just wanted to be a good enough son for his dad. All the times where, even after his dad would call him a disappointment or even lay a hand on him, he found himself wanting his dad just to  _ care _ . He wants… he wants a dad that would be there whenever he called. 

“ _ And now after it all, I just really wanna call my dad. My dad, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home. No, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home _ .” 

Bobby wordlessly took the book and pen back, pressing a quick kiss on Reggie’s shoulder before he took up writing. Reggie clenched his hands into fists, trying to get the shaking to shop. He didn’t think that writing a song while drunk would become so serious. Last time he and Bobby did this the song they wrote was about seagulls. Julie had laughed so hard when they performed it that tears rolled down her face. 

He kind of preferred this. It was a way for them to vent and get their frustrations out. Sure Luke and Alex’s parents weren’t great but they still loved them. Luke’s parents still cared about him even if they didn’t see eye-to-eye. Alex’s dad might be a dick but his mom was slowly coming around with accepting her son. They still had a long way to go but Reggie could see the love was still there. 

Bobby and Reggie didn’t have that. Bobby’s parents hardly acknowledged his existence. They were always away for work or just simply going on lavish vacations whenever they wanted, leaving their son behind to fend for himself. Reggie’s parents didn’t stop fighting long enough to pay attention to him, not like they would even if they weren’t fighting. 

Drunk song writing was a great form of therapy. Who knew? 

“ _ We went dancing on the roof and took some girls uptown. They started fighting with my friend and I can't find him now. Hit some bars, and saw some brawls and found a house to sleep. Forgot my retainer could you not be mad at me? _ ” 

“You don’t wear a retainer,” Reggie chuckled, copying Bobby’s position from before. His cheek was resting on his friend's shoulder. “I like the throwback to last year.” 

“It seemed pretty fitting, Luke was  _ so _ pissed when we got home and told them about our little adventure,” Bobby shook his head, resting his cheek against Reggie’s head. “I used to wear one, when I was younger. I would always misplace it and get so scared when I had to tell him that I lost another retainer.” 

“I swear Alex almost banned me from going on any more field trips with you,” Reggie grinned. “We’re not a good combo, according to him.” 

“What we are is fun,” Bobby laughed, tapping the pen against the open page. “I think this song is best kept nice and short. Maybe repeat the chorus and leave it at that.” 

Reggie looked over the messily written song and found himself agreeing. There was no need to write a whole song about having daddy issues. There’s plenty of songs out there. This one was different. It was unique. Reggie found that maybe it could be interpreted differently by whoever was listening to it. 

Some of the greatest songs he knows are just like that. He might be very intoxicated but he’s very proud of this one. He couldn’t wait to show the others. 

Bobby ripped the page out of his book, folded it and handed the paper to Reggie. Wordlessly he accepted it and slipped it into the pocket of Alex’s hoodie. Safe keeping. Bobby was known for miss-placing important stuff sometimes. Yet another thing for his dad to get on his case about. 

Reggie finished his fourth (and final) beer of the evening before wordlessly helping Bobby clean up the mess they had made. They put the empty bottles back in the case, stumbling to their feet and laughing until their sides hurt when they realized they couldn’t stand correctly. Reggie had felt fine until he stood. Suddenly the world around him was dizzy and he felt a little bit uneven. Finding his footing was hard. 

It took some difficulty but they managed to find a trash can to dump the evdance in, stumbling over each other in their haste to get away once they threw out the bottles. Reggie had tripped over the curb and almost face-planted onto the sidewalk. His saving grace was Bobby reaching out quickly and grabbing his arm. Though the palms of his hands got some bad road rash as he tried to save himself. 

“Dude,” Bobby wheezed, pulling on his arm. “Get up. We gotta go.” 

Reggie was laughing too hard to get up gracefully but they managed to get him back on his feet. Bobby wrapped an arm around his shoulders, Reggie’s own arm coming to snake around his friend's waist and they held each other up as they headed back towards the studio. There was no way in hell that Reggie was going home in such a state and Bobby only lived a block over from the Molinas. 

It was a great way to end such a shitty day. 

* * *

Reggie had no memory of getting to the studio and apparently he decided the floor was a great place to sleep. 

He woke up with a crick in his neck and someone draping themselves over him. It took him a moment to get his bearings, the familiar homey feeling of the studio making him relax. The smell of Luke’s cologne greeted him as he felt lips on his neck. He groaned and dropped his head back onto the floor. The person on top of him laughed. 

“Good morning babe,” Luke greeted. His weight left Reggie’s back as he settled on the floor next to him, scooting in close. 

Reggie’s response was muffled by the floor. He heard Alex laugh before someone else was sitting near his head, a hand coming up and raking through his hair. 

“Why are you on the floor when there’s a perfectly good couch a few feet away?” Alex asked, amusement coloring his tone. 

Another response was muffled by the floor before Reggie found the energy to roll over and pull himself up to sit. The beanie was still on his head, threatening to fall off but Luke was quick to put it back into place. A smile was on his face the entire time, a soft fond look that always made Reggie’s heart do summersaults. 

“Honestly? I have no idea,” Reggie yawned. “The tour was a bust and Bobby was really upset so we went to the beach and drank. Don’t remember much after that.” 

Luke blinked at him before laughing, while Alex pinched the bridge of his nose while sighing. Reggie grinned, moving closer to Alex and leaning forward a bit, “Nothing bad happened.” 

Alex rolled his eyes before leaning forward and pressed a quick kiss to Reggie’s lips. It was Reggie’s turn to blink owlishly at him before his grin grew. Alex shook his head but he was smiling. It was good to know that his boyfriend wasn't actually upset with him. 

“Why was Bobby upset? Also where is Bobby?” Luke asked. 

“The school was filled with pretentious dicks. The tour guide was condescending and pretty much made fun of us the entire time,” Reggie wrinkled his nose in thought, trying to remember what happened after they went to leave the beach. It was slowly coming back to him, “He went home. He dropped me off here, hung out for a little and then headed home.” 

Alex moved so he was sitting behind Reggie, legs on either side of him and he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him against his chest, “Poor Bobby. I know he was really hoping it would work out.” 

“Are you okay? You said they made fun of  _ us _ ,” Luke said, looking like he was about to get up and leave to do something stupid. 

Reggie made grabby hands towards Luke, who complied and moved closer. Reggie placed a kiss on his forehead, pulling him close, “Yeah I’m okay. It was disappointing but I think it meant more to Bobby than to me.” 

Luke moved so he was laying on his stomach, head resting in Reggie’s lap. His arms came up to hold loosely around his hips. Alex moved his own arms, slowly moving them down Reggie’s toro before his hands slipped into the pocket of the hoodie. The sound of paper filled the quiet studio, making all of them look up in question. 

“What’s this?” Alex asked as he pulled out a folded piece of paper. 

Much to Reggie disappointment Luke moved again, sitting on his legs to see better. Reggie took the paper from Alex, unfolding it with his boyfriends each looking over his shoulders. The handwriting on the paper was familiar but messy. It almost gave Luke a run for his money. It was a mixture of Bobby’s and his own, lines scribbled out and notes marking different places on the page. 

“We wrote a song last night,” Reggie remembered as he read over the lyrics. “It honestly isn’t that bad.” 

“ _ Call My Dad, _ ” Alex read the title, his lips brushing Reggie’s neck as he spoke. “It’s really good actually. A bit different from the usual Sunset Curve sound but I like it.” 

“It was more of a way to vent. I think we both needed it,” Reggie passed the song to Luke, who was humming a melody to it under his breath. Leave it to him to already be thinking of ways to incorporate instruments. 

"Whenever Bobby wants to show his hungover self we can start messing around with it,” Luke gently put the piece of paper on the coffee table before taking up his previous spot on Reggie’s lap. “Julie slept over Flynn’s last night. When she gets home we can show her too.” 

The three slipped into a comfortable silence. Alex’s hand had slipped under the hoodie at some point, running his thumb over the soft skin of Reggie’s stomach. Luke looked like he was about to fall asleep and Reggie felt so content. Sure his head hurt from the drinking but he was slowly getting his energy back from the good old cuddle pile with his boyfriends. 

Julie and Bobby came in later, the latter carrying a box of donuts and two coffees, wearing sunglasses and cursing all of the pretentious boys in blazers to hell. 

Reggie realized, in that moment, he didn’t care whether or not he had his dad’s approval. He didn’t need to go to some big fancy college to prove himself and neither did Bobby. The only people who’s options they cared about were in this room, laughing loudly between bites of donuts. 


End file.
